Man's death in custody brings back memories for another family

Ernest Lacy died in police van in 1981

Thirty-one years ago, a Milwaukee man died in police custody and after the release of a video showing a man who died in police custody last year, the Ernest Lacy family wonder if much isn't still the same.

"I can just seen my nephew crying for his life," Lacy's aunt, Sara Monk, said.

Video and sound of Derrick Williams, 22, struggling to breath and begging for officers to believe him while he is handcuffed in the back of a squad car takes one Milwaukee family back to a case 31 years old.

"It hurts. It hurts, and it's hard to heal, and it will never heal," Monk said.

In June 1981, Monk's nephew, Lacy, 22, was stopped by police investigating a rape that was later discovered he did not commit. He died of respiratory distress in the police van. It was a death that sparked community outrage and a call for action.

Monk said seeing the Williams' video makes her heart bleed for his family.

"It's a hurt, the family is really hurting, they are hurting I wish there was something I could do to help ease the pain but the pain will be there as time moves on, the pain will be released somewhat, but it will always be there," Monk said.

Two years after Lacy's death, five Milwaukee police officers were found guilty of failing to render first aid to him while in custody.

Fuller was one of the leaders who pushed for justice in the Ernest lacy case. He said 30 years later, while some are calling for more police training now as they did then, he's come to realize this is not a training issue.

"This is a what do you think about a human being issue and the question is how much training do you need to consider a person as a fellow human being who has to be treated with a certain level of decency," Fuller said.

"They need to be more concerned about a human's life," Monk said.

The Lacy family said while it has serious concerns about some police tactics, it still strongly supports officers. Monk said family members believe most officers are good public servants.

A Wisconsin congresswoman is joining the calls for a federal investigation into Williams' death.

U.S. Rep. Gwen Moore sent a letter to the U.S. District Attorney on Thursday.